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No, if the people themselves were idiots, they could aspire no higher. I am merely referring to the comparative isolation and lack of stimulation, although, of course, technology has helped that a lot. As for coming West and trying the "Cowboy Way", that is about as likely as my joining the Taliban...... By the way, one shouldn't speak loosely of "survival skills". Where I come from, these are survival skills: being good at hailing a cab, proficiency at making reservations, operating a cell- phone, sensing which neighborhoods are hinctey. Knowing the "lay of the land": being able to drive from Canal Street to Gracie Mansion, or my house to Reagan National, or the Boston Park Plaza to Cambridge, with few glitches. Proficiency at crafts? The ability to make a spreadsheet, or scan a picture, or create a newsletter on my computer; knowing how to do research on the Web; being able to cook Coq au Vin. You get the picture...... |
